


'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'

by cliniclyInsane189



Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27073117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cliniclyInsane189/pseuds/cliniclyInsane189
Summary: Oh wait, this is Amestris we're talking about - of course that isn't how it works.AKA Maria Ross' interrogation scene in my AU fromherpoint of view.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947934
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Whumptober 2020 Day 17 - 'I did not see that coming’ - Blackmail | Dirty Secret | **Wrongfully Accused**  
>  I love this au, and this came to mind when I saw this prompt, even if I'm not sure if it's 'whumpy' enough.  
> Enjoy!

Maria was in a state of shock.

This couldn’t be happening.

_ It couldn’t. _

How could they  _ possibly _ think she’d done this? She’d looked up to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes immensely, and his death had been a devastating loss. She may not have known him well, but he was a good man with a family - she would  _ never _ .

And yet, Colonel Douglas seemed  _ so sure _ . He had to be - he never actually formally arrested someone unless he was upwards of ninety-per-cent sure they’d done it, and that was exactly what he’d done here.

What kind of evidence could he possibly-

The door opened, derailing her train of thought.

As Colonel Douglas walked in she drew herself upright, but when the person following him entered, she couldn’t restrain a full-body flinch.

_ Oh no, _ she thought.  _ Oh, this could not be happening _ . Everyone knew what Argyris was capable of - something Maria had begun to forget over the past several months of working together on-and-off - and now Maria had been accused of murdering the alchemist’s best friend, and she was innocent but Argyris didn’t  _ know that- _

Maria’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as Argyris made eye contact and then, barely perceptibly, her lips twitched in a smile - her entire expression softening for a brief second before returning to stone when Douglas glanced back at her.

Or, maybe Argyris  _ did _ know that. How, Maria didn’t know, but she was sure she’d find out eventually.

Argyris settled on the other side of the door to the MP still in the room, so Maria, for now, turned most of her attention back to Douglas, who was spreading files out on the table.

“This,” he said, “is the autopsy report. Lt. Colonel Hughes was killed by a .45 calibre bullet fired from a standard-issue military pistol. The same kind used by your own service weapon, Lt. Ross.” He shifted a different piece of paper to the top of the pile. “This is an ammunition requisition form, submitted by yourself shortly after the Lt. Colonel was killed. One bullet. And this,” he continued, setting an evidence bag on top of the pile, “is the bullet that killed the Lt. Colonel.” He folded his arms. “What would you say it was used for?”

Maria drew in a steadying breath, eyes flicking over to Lt. Colonel Argyris. The alchemist gave a tiny, encouraging, nod.

“As it says on that form,” she said, clasping her hands together tightly to prevent herself from fidgeting, “to protect Edward Elric when I was acting as his bodyguard.”

“And where did this take place?” Douglas asked.

“In an alley between Central Prison and the Fifth Laboratory, shortly before the latter was destroyed,” she replied.

“And would you say that it could have ended up in the wreckage of the Laboratory?”

“Yes, sir,” Maria said, hands clenching. She chanced a glance at Argyris, whose neutral expression seemed to be taking on a worried cast.

“Then you agree,” Douglas continued, “there is no evidence that you fired your weapon there? It would be impossible to find a single bullet there, correct?”

“Yes, sir, but-” Maria started, but was cut off.

“That’s enough, Ross,” Douglas snapped. “The only evidence in your favour is buried in rubble or relies on the testimony of unreliable witnesses.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “However, the evidence  _ against _ you speaks for itself. This bullet, right here. And, what’s more, we have an eyewitness testimony that places you leaving the scene of the murder at the time it was reported to take place.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Maria saw Argyris’ eyes widen briefly in visible alarm. She knew something. Maria glanced at her fully, questioningly.

Argyris grimaced and nodded but didn’t say anything.

So, whatever it was, it couldn’t help her now.

“What were you doing at that time?” Douglas asked.

“I had the day off,” Maria replied. “I was at my parents’ house. You can confirm that with them.”

Douglas sat up straight and rested his hands on the pile on the table. There was a grim look on his face.

“The testimonies of your family and those you are close with are not admissible as alibis,” he said.

Maria’s eyes widened in horror and she opened her mouth as if to say something, but no words escaped.

“Is there anything else you have to say, Lieutenant Ross?”

She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head mutely, a fierce anger rising within her.

This was  _ not right _ .

This shouldn’t be happening -  _ how was this happening? _

“Very well,” Douglas said, rising and gathering everything off the table. “McCormic, take Ruud and escort her to the prison.”

The MP by the door saluted and exited the room, re-entering a few seconds later with the other one who’d waited outside earlier.

“Argyris,” Douglas said, pushing his chair under. “With me.” He was eying the State Alchemist almost cautiously. “I’m not leaving  _ you _ with her unsupervised.”

“Of course, sir,” Argyris replied, venom practically oozing through the calm tone. She sounded even more pissed than Maria felt - and understandably, too.

If she’d had to watch as someone she knew and trusted (and knew to be innocent) was arrested for Denny’s murder while being totally unable to do anything about it, she would have been  _ furious _ . She didn’t think she would have been able to keep up as calm a front as Argyris was doing - especially since this meant the real killer was still walking free.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Also, if you couldn't tell from the notes etc, this was posted while drunk at 3am :)  
> This scene will be in the main series(')/fic(s), but from Luca's POV.


End file.
